Rotary engine



2 SheetsSheet 1.

.(No Model.)

W. H. GONVER, G. M. SHEFFER & R. V. GILBERT.

ROTARY ENGINE.

Patented Nov. 2'7, 1888;.

UNETED I STATES :ATENT WILLIAM H. ooNvEE, GEORGE M. snEi EER, AND RUSSELv. GILBERT, OF EMLENTON, PENNSYLVANIA.

ROTARYEYNGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 393,620, dated November27, 1888.

Application filed February 2, 1888. Serial No. 262,751. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern: Be it known that We, WILLIAM H. CONVER,GEORGE M. SHEEEER, and RUssEL V. GIL- BERT, citizensof the UnitedStates, residing at,

Emlentou, in the county of Venango and State of Pennsylvania, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Rotary Engines, of which thefollowing is a specification.

' Our invention relates to rotary engines of IO the type shown inLetters Patent of the United States granted to William H. Gonver andGeorge M. Sheffer, November 10, 1885, No. 330,001.

It is our further purpose to provide a packing blocker cushion forengines of this class which shall be capable of a limited automaticadjustment toward and from the piston-case, to compensate for wear, toprevent excessive pressure of friction of the piston=casing upon thecylinder at the lowest point thereof, and to preserve at all times aperfectly tight joint between the exhaust side of the live-steam side ofthe piston-casing.

It is our purpose, also, to provide simple means whereby the packingblock or cushion shall be forced against the piston-casing by thepressure of the live steam, and whereby, also, the engine may bereversed without affecting the action of the steam upon said 0 cushionor producing escape of steam.

It is a further purpose of our prgsent invention, also, to combine withour novel packing-cushion simple means to compensate for undue lateralpressure thereon caused by bolt- 5 ing or drawing the cylinder-heads tooclosely together. a

Our invention also contemplates a novel and simple construction ofparts, whereby the pistons shall closely fit the circumferential and 0lateral walls of the cylinder, all leakage of steam around the pistonsor through the piston-casings and past the pistons being effectuallyprevented.

It is our purpose, also, to so construct and combine the piston-flangeswith the single piston-bar that they may accommodate themselves to anyinequality of surface without affecting the relative position of thepiston-bar or causing undue friction.

5o It is our purpose, also, to simplify and imative position.

prove the bearings for the engine shaft, whereby the same may be morereadily and thoroughly lubricated,and whereby,also, the bearings be moreeffectually packed.

It is our purpose, finally, to simplify and 5 improve the constructionand arrangement of the several parts of a rotary engine, whereby thecylinder-casing is very materially strengthened without materialincrease in weight, and to so proportion the steam'space in the cylinder as to secure the best results with any given steam-pressure.

To these ends the invention consists in the several novel features ofconstruction and new combinations of parts hereinafter fully set forth,and then definitely pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure Us a vertical section taken in aplane transverse to the axis of the engine cylinder. Fig. 2 is avertical section taken in the line of the axis of the engine-cylinder.Fig. 3 is a detail section, on an enlarged scalc,of the lower part ofthe engine-cylinder shown in Fig. l. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective ofthe packing block or cushion removed and its several parts slightlyseparated from each other. Fig. 5 is a transverse section in the axialplane of the pistoncasing, the vibrating piston with itsspringprojecting flanges, and the engineshaft with the packing-ringremoved from the cylinder. Fig. 6 is a detail perspective of the same,the pistons being removed. Fig. 7 is a detail perspective of one of thepiston-flanges with its packing-strips removed from the piston and theparts slightly separated,but'in proper rel- Fig. 8 is a vertical sectionof the cylinder-casing of a single acting engine, takenin a planetransverse to the shaft. Fig. 9 is a front elevation of one of thecylinderheads. Fig. 10 is a detail of the piston removed from thecasing.

In the said drawings,the reference-numeral 1 designates the casing orcylinder of a rotary engine, mounted upon any suitable form of 95foot-brackets, 2. This casing is of general cylindrical form, .and uponopposite sides thereof, at the base,is formed a steam-space, 3, havingtherein two bracket-bearings, 4, rising from the base-piece andseparated from each 10c other by a space, 4, Fig. 8. The upper surfaceof each of these bearings is turned off to receive the periphery of thepiston-casing, hereinafter described. The space 4 is connected with thesteam-space 3 bya passage,5, which in the non-reversible engine is cutthrough one only of said bracket-bearings 4-, as shown in Fig. 8; butwhen the engine is reversible an opening is formed through bothbrackets, and a cheek-valve, 6, is placed in each opening, each valveopening to a press ure from a space without or between said brackets.

\Vithin the space lying between the adjacent faces of the brackets 4 isarranged a packing block or cushion. (Shown in Figs. 1 and 3 and indetailin Fig. 1.) This packing-cushion is formed in several separateparts, which'are united together, said parts consisting of blocks orsections 7, having parallel grooved edges 8 and cylindrical articulatingpieces 9, lying between adjacent blocks and between the latter and thebrackets 4.,a semicylindrical seat, 10, being formed in each of thelatter to receive one ofsaid articulations. Whenin place, as shown inFig. 3, the cushion is capable, by reason of its formation in separatepieces and their articulations slightly resembling the joint of a bone,to yield upward and downward. A spring, 12, placed beneath its center,holds it up at all times; but in order to secure its contact with thepiston-casing with a uniform force, live steam is admitted from thelivesteani port 3. In the non-reversible engine shown in Fig. 8 thesteam passes under the cushion through the opening 5; but in thereversible engine a similar opening is cut in the other bracket also,and checkvalves 6 are placed in each, whereby the reversal of the enginewill throw live steam under .the cushion through either valve, and willat the same time close the other valve,as already described. A petcock,13, may be placed at the bottom of the recess containing the spring12,to permit the escape of any water which may accumulate fromcondensation.

In our present invention we use a solid piston-bar, 14, and, inasmuch asthe center of rotation is eccentric to the center of the cylinder, it isevident that the latter cannot be bored upon a true circle. We thereforebore the cylinder in the following manner: Striking the true circle fromthe center of the cylinder, we next locate the center of rotation anddraw horizontal lines through both points to the periphery of thecylinder. Half the line drawn through the center of the cylinder will beits radius, and, subtracting half the line drawn through the center ofrotation therefrom,we add to the difference one-half the difference,which gives the distance by which the boring-tool must be set off to oneside and the other of the vertical line passing through the center ofthe cylinder. The difference between the said radial lines will give thedistance by which the tool must, in addition to its lateraldisplacement, be set below the horizontal diameter of the cylinder, andthe three curves struck from these three points, re

spectively, will thereby pass into each other at points a little abovethe horizontal diameter of the cylinder and provide an interior chamberin which the piston may whirl and have at all times contact with thecylinderwall at both ends.

In each end of the piston-bar 14 is formed a slot, 15, within which isset a flange, 16. Each flange is composed of a flat plate havingchanneled edges 17, in which are laid packingstrips 18, leafsprings 19being interposed between the flange and the strips to give an outwardproject-ion to the latter and cause them to engage with the inner wallof the cylinder. The packing-strips are gained upon theirends 18, asseen in Fig. 7, to permit them to lie flush and in the continuous groove17. Pins 20 are set at the lower ends of the side grooves to prevent thestrips falling too far inward. After the flanges are set in the slottedends of the piston-bar a rivet, 21, is passed through both,an enlargedopening, 22, being madein the flange to permit a limited movement and adjustment of the flange in the slot, and a spring, 23, is placedbehind'the flange to throw it radially outward.

The piston-easing is bored diametrically, as seen in Fig. 6, andchannels 24 are out upon each side of the bore to receive the flanges.Circular slots 25 are also cut in the parallel faces of said casing,having their ends near the outer ends of the channels 24., and beingcarried entirely around theinner ends of the said channels. In theseslots packing-rings'26 are placed,with springs 27, which force saidrings outward and against the parallel faces of the cylinder topreventleakage of steam.

In the non-reversible enginelive steam may be taken through a port, 28,a steam-passage, 29, being cut in the peripheral wall of the casing,with a corresponding extension, 30, for the exhaust, which passes offthrough a port, 31. In the reversible engine we form circumferential'steamways 32 and 33 in the casing,eommunicat-ing with live-steam andexhaust ports 31 and 35 at the top of the cylin- (ler, upon which ismounted a valve-casing, 36, communicating with the steam-pipe 37.\Vithin the valve-casing we arrange a slidevalve, 38, operated by alever, 39, in the ordinary manner. This valve is so formed that while itmay open both thelive-steam and exhaust ports,as seen in Fig. 1, it mayalso close the former entirely without closing the latter, therebyenabling its use as a throttle. The pipe for the exhaust enters betweenthe two ports,and the engine is reversed by simply sliding the valve tothe left in Fig. 1, thereby causing the engine to exhaust by way of port31 and take live steam through port 35.

The piston-casing is cast with an integral shaft, 41, having expandingportions 42 adjacent to said casing. Upon each part of theshaftisslippedasleeye-bearing, formed of what is generally known asanti-friction bronze,

faces of the caps.

and having a diminished cylindrical portion, 43, and a threaded portion,44, of somewhat greater diameter, the former entering the shaftopeningin the cylinder and lying upon the expanding portion 42 of the shaft. Inthe outer end of the threaded portion of the sleeve is formed a chamber,45, for packing, and a follower, 46, enters and compresses the same.

Projecting from each cylinder-cap 47 is a boss, 48, surrounding theshaft opening, and. provided with a chamber, 49, into which an oil-cup,50, is tapped. An inwardly-turned flange, 51, is formed upon the outerend of the said boss and threaded to engage the threaded portion 44 ofthe sleeve-bearing, a jam-nut, 52, being afterward turned on to confinethe sleeve from rotation. The follower 46 being in place, a secondjam-nut, 53, is turned on, and a holding-nut, 54, is then turned on thesleeve, having an inwardly-turned flange to engage the flanged head ofthe follower. The second jamnut, 53, is turned against the holding-nut54 to prevent its displacement by the reversal of the engine.()il-openings 55 are formed inthe diminished portion 43 of the sleeve.

One of the sleeve-bearings 43 44 is provided with a right-hand and theother with a lefthand thread to enable the bearings to be adjusted tocompensate for wear, and the worn portions brought into the same orsubstantially the same relative position to the cylinder, and therebyavoid the danger of throwing the pis ton-casing out of true parallelismwith the cylinder-heads.

We strengthen the cylinder caps 47 by casting upon the exterior face ofeach, radial ribs 56, which unite with the boss 48, and give greatstrength and solidity without any very material increase in weight or incost of material or construction.

In bolting the cylinder caps upon the cylinder it may possibly happenthat they will be drawn together with a little more force than isnecessary, and thereby cause the ends of the packing-cushion or the endsof the blocks comprising said cushion to bind upon the interior To avoidthis We bevel off one end of each of said blocks, as shown in Fig. 4,and insert against the beveled ends wedge-shaped compensating-strips 57,each having in cross-section the form of a rightangled triangle, thehypotenuse lying against the beveled end of the cushion, the angle ofthe latter being such that the outer face of the strip will be parallelwith the opposite end of the cushion-block. Each strip or wedge isjointed to the adjacent strips by means of a seat, 58, cut in one endand a correspondinglyformed lug, 59,- in the other. Itwill be seen fromFig. 4 that with this construction the central cylindrical. articulatingpiece 9 will have its end beveled at the same angles as the blocksagainst which it lies.

Vhen in place, any undue pressure thereupon by the cylinder-caps causedby drawing the bolts up too tightly will depress the wedgingcompensating-strips relatively to the cushion against which they bear,thereby preventing the parts from binding and tending to lift thecushion 7 up against the piston-casing.

By reference to Fig. 2 it will be seen that the Width and depth of theeffective steamspace at the top of the cylinder are equal, therebymaking the crosssection of the said steam-space at this point a square.This gives the most effective results with any given steampressure. Inorder to prevent the steam leaking through the piston-casing from thelivesteam side of the cylinder, we mount upon the piston-bar a centralpacking composed of split rings 60, which are held against the circularspace in which the piston vibrates by their own elastic expansi0n..

By this invention we provide a rotary engine having its vibratingpistons formed in or mounted on one integralpiece or bar and havingthroughout the entire sweep of the cylinder close contact with the wallof the latter. We also separate the exhaust and the livesteam side ofthe cylinder by means which form a close perfectlyfitting joint, inwhich excessive pressure upon and friction of the piston-casing arewholly avoided,while a perfect compensation is provided for the wear ofthe parts and the permanent preservation of the closejoint between them,which is improved by wear instead of being deteriorated, the flexiblepacking-cushion being at all stages of its wear held in engagement withthe pistoncasing with an equal force,or with a force proportioned to thepressure of the steam upon the pistons.

These several improvements not only simplify and cheapen theconstruction of the engine, but they greatly promote its efficiency andprolong the term of effective service.

\Vhat we claim is-- V 1. In a rotary engine, the combination,with apiston-casing, of a packing-cushion separating the exhaust from the livesteam side of the cylinder, and composed of separate blocks orpiecesjointed or articulated together and at the ends to brackets within thecylinder, substantially as described.

2. In a rotary engine, the combination,with a piston-casing and with acylinder having brackets, of a packing-cushion lying between saidbrackets and composed of separate pieces or blocks, the adjacent edgesbeing grooved to receive cylindrical articulating pieces,whereby thecentral portion of the cushion may rise and fall, substantially asdescribed:

3. In a rotary engine, the combination,with

a piston-casing and with a cylinder having brackets between thelive-steam and the exhaust space, of a packing-cushion composed ofseparate pieces or blocks jointed to each other and to the brackets, andcheck-valves between the space beneath said cushion and the livesteamand exhaust space, substantially as described.

4. In a rotary engine, the Combinatiomwith a piston having aslotted end,of a flange lying in said slot and a pin or rivet passing through pistonand flange, the latter being provided with an enlarged circular openingto receive said rivet and allow limited play of the flange in alldirections, substantially as described.

5. In a rotary engine, the combination,with a piston casing having apiston vibrating therein, said piston having flanges projecting throughthe sides of said piston -casing, of packing-rings lying in circularslots in the parallel outer faces of said casing, said slots beingcarried around the inner ends of the projecting portions of the flanges,substantially as described.

6. In a rotary engine, the eo1nbination,with a cylinder having bossescontaining oil-chambers and provided with inwardly turned flanges havinga right and left hand thread, respectively, of a piston-easing having ashaft which tapers or diminishes outwardly on each side of said casing,bronze bearingsleeves having diminished portions fitting said taperedsections of shaft, and provided with right and left hand threadedportions engaging with the inwardly-turned flanges of the bosses on thecylinder-heads, said threaded portions having packing chambers,followers entering said chambers, and holding-nuts turned on thesleevebearings, substantially as described.

7. In a rotary engine, the combination, with the piston casing, of aflexible cushion arranged in the lower part thereof between thelive-steam and exhaust ports,and composed of two or more sectionsjointed or articulated to each other and to the casing, and means forforcing the said cushion toward the cylinder, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of twowitnesses.

\VILLIAM H. CONVER. GEORGE M. SHEFFER. RUSSEL V. GILBERT. Witnesses:

J iicoB SBEIRLEY, J. R. CUBBISON.

